Adjustable supporting means



Get. 15, 1929. 5, WILKINSON 1,731,804

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MEANS Filed $ept. 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR.

24a E 2 I 8% 0. ATTORNEY.

Oct. 15, 1929. a. o. WILKINSON ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1924 R m m m @WM @wv/ A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 15, 1929 PATENT OFFICE GORDON O. WILKINSON, OF ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MEANS Application filed September 22, 1924. Serial No. 739,235.

In the mounting of different makes and types of condensers, tuning coils, rheostats and the like upon the front panels of radio signal receiving apparatus, it heretofore has been necessary to drill a relatively large number of holes through the panel, and in many instances in changing from one type or make of condensers, tuning coils, rheostats and the like to another, it has been necessary to provide additional holes in the panel, which but for the change of type or kind would have been unnecessary. In some instances dilficulty has been encountered because of the fact that the position of a new hole or holes required was not su'fiiciently removed from a previous hole to enable the satisfactory forming or drilling of the new hole or holes. I-Ieretofore it has been the practice to provide two or more holes through the panel for practically each and every device such as condensers, tuning coils, etc, for supporting the same in place upon the panel. The pres ence of such a relatively large number of holes and of fastening means thereon has rendered and does render the front of the panel unsightly in appearance.

The general object of my invention is to provide a novel construction of adjustable supporting means which is adapted to be mounted upon the inner side of the panel of a radio receiving apparatus or other like device for supporting certain instrumentalities essential to the device or apparatus.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a novel construction of adjustable supporting means of the character indicated which is adapted to be secured upon the front panel of a radio signal receiving apparatus by a single fastening means.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be pointed out in the detailed description thereof or will be apparent from such description.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and its practical advantages fully appreciated, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated certain convenient forms of embodiment thereof. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is sus iefptible of embodiment in other forms of construction than those shown and that changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the principle of the said invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional View of a portion of a radio receiving apparatus in connection with which the supporting means embodying my invention is employed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

F 3 is a view in perspective of one of the arms constituting a part of the said adjustable supporting means;

4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a radio receiving apparatus showing the invention adapted for supporting one type of tuning coil;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View of a radio receiving apparatus showing one form of adjustable supporting means adapted for supporting a plurality of instrumentalities;

Fig. 7 is a view taken on the line 7 -7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 8; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views respectively of elements of the supporting means shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, of the I drawing.

Although I have shown my invention as employed in connection with radio receiving apparatus for which 't is particularly adapted, it is to be understood that it is not limited to use in connection with the particular type or character of apparatus illustrated, but may be employed in connection with any device to or for which it may be adapted.

Referring to the drawings:

1 designates a panel of insulating material upon which various instrumentalities of radio receiving apparatus are adapted to be mounted. As already indicated the practice heretofore has been to provide in practically all n sf two or more openings through. the

panels of radio receiving apparatus for supporting the fastening means employed for supporting each of said instrumentalities such as rheostats, condensers, tuning coils, variometers, etc.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, 2 designates a shaft upon the outer end of which a dial 3 is mounted, by means of which the said shaft is adapted to be manipulated for adjusting the adjustable plates of the variable condenser indicated as a whole at 1.

The front portion of shaft 2 is journaled in a bearing bushing 6 mounted within-an opening 7 in the panel 1. The exterior surface of said bushing is threaded as indicated. Arms 10, 11 and 12 are mounted upon the portion of the bushing 6 which projects beyond the inner side of the panel 1. The arms 10 and 12 are provided adjacent their inner ends with openings 13, which openings are not screw-threaded. The arm 11 is likewise provided with an opening 14, which is screw-threaded for engagement with the inner screw-threaded end of the bearing bushing 6. It willbe noted that each of the arms 10, 11 and 12 is provided with elongated slots 15 through which screws 16 extend for connecting the arms to the instrumentalities to be supported thereby. V

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the said screws are shown in engagement with screw-threaded openings in the outer ends of lugs 18, which extend outwardly from the outer plate 19 of the frame structure of the condenser 4. The arms 10, 11 and 12 aresecured to the condenser structure with their inner converging ends in overlapped relation in respect to each other, so that the openings 13 and li thereof are in registry with each other. Such overlapped inner ends are then placed in position in front of the opening 7, whereupon the externally screw-threaded bearing bushing 6 may be inserted through said opening, through the openings 13 and engaged with the screw-threaded opening 14 in the arm 11.

By reason of the fact that the arms 10, 11 and 12 may be adjusted so as to vary the angular relation between the same, it is appar ent that the supportin means of which they constitute parts or elements may be adapted for attacl "nent with condensers, tuning coils and the like in which the points thereon at which the connection must be made bear different relations to each other; also it will be apparent that the said arms may be adjusted to different types of the same instrumentality. For example, in the case of condensers the points thereon at which the connection must be made occupy different positions in one type from what they do in another type thereof.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a construction embodying my invention wherein it is adapted for supporting a tuning coil in which two points of support only are provided. These points are at the upper and lower ends of the tubular element 20 of the coil structure. The said element 20 is provided with posts 21 at the upper and lower ends thereof, to which the vertically disposed arms 22 and 23 are connected by means of screws 24, which extend through elongated slots 25 and engage the outer ends of the posts 21. As in the previous construction, tie inner ends of these arms are provided with openings. The opening in the outer arm'23 is screw-threaded and has connection with the inner screw-threaded end portion of the bearing bushing 26, which extends through an opening 2'? in the panel 1 of insulating material. The inner end of the shaft which extends through the bearing bushing 26, supports the rotatable member 31 of the coil stru'cture. The said shaft is provided upon its outer end with a circular finger piece 32 by means of which it may be rotated. A pointer 33 is mounted upon the shaft 30 adjacent the outer end portion of the bushing 26 and in cooperative relation to the dial 34 provided with degree markings adjacent its periphery as indicated at 36. The said dial is supported upon the hearing bushing 26 and is clamped against the panel 1 by the head of said bushing.

y reason of the fact that in this construction, as well as in the preceding construc tion, the arms are provided with elongated slots, they are adjusted for connection with different instrumentaiiti'es which are to be supported thereby in which the distances from each other and positions of the points thereon at which connections are to be made may be varied.

In Figs. 6 to 11, inclusive, of the drawings, I have shown a construction of adjustable supporting means which is adapted for supporting a plurality of instrumentalities. Inthese figures I have provided an arm comprising a vertical portion 40, located in contact with or in adjacent relation to the inner side of the panel 1, and a portion 41 which extends inwardly or rearwardly thereof and which is arranged at right angles thereto. The upper end of the portion 10 is provided with an opening -12, through which the inner end portion of a bearing bushing 43 extends. The said ushing is located within an opening a l through the said panel 1. The arm comprising the angularly related portions and 4:1 is re tained in place upon the bushing 43 by means of a relatively narrow plate i6 having a screw-threaded opening 17 at its middle which is adapted to engage the outer screw-threaded end portion of the bushing 13 and to clamp the upper end of the portion 40 against the adjacent inner side of the panel 1 surrounding the opening 1 1. The plate 16 in the construction, as shown, is arranged substantially at right angles to the upper end of the portion 40 and is pro vided at its opposite outer end portions with slots which extend lengthwise of the said plate. Screws 51 extend through these slots and engage a portion of the structure of the rheostat 52, which is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to support the same. The presence of the slots 50 in the opposite ends of the plate enables the said plate to be connected with the instrumentalities supported thereby at points indicated at different distances apart. The shaft 57 for actuating the rheostat contact arm 58 extends through the bearing bushing 43. Said shaft is provided upon its outer end with a knurled finger piece 59 by means of which it may be rotated and the said shaft is also provided with a pointer 60 inwardly of the linger piece 59 which cooperates with a dial 61 clamped between the head of the bearing bushing 43 and the adjoining front portion of the panel 1.

The horizontal portion 41 of the angular member or element of the adjustable supporting means is provided with an elongated slot 65, which extends longitudinally thereof and through which a bolt 66 extends for securing thereto a narrow plate 67. The bolt 66 extends through an opening through the plate strip 67 located at a point intermediate its ends. The said plate in the construction shown extends substantially at right angles to the length of the portion 11 but may be adjusted so that its position with respect thereto may be varied. The opposite ends of the plate 67, constituting arms, are provided with elongated slots or openings 70 through which bolts 71 extend for securing a tube socket or other instrumentality 72 to the said arms.

It will be seen that by means of the construction, as illustrated in Figs. 6 to 11, in elusive, I have shown a novel means of simple construction which is adapted for the support of a plurality of instrumentalities. The instrumentalities as illustrated consist of a rheostat and a tube socket for radio apparatus, but it will be understood that instrumentalities of other character and belonging to other kinds of apparatus may be support ed upon the supporting means as illustrated in these figures of the drawings.

It will be seen that by the provision of supporting means of the character indicated in each unit of which adjustable elements are embodied, I am enabled to make the necessary connections to the instrumentalities to be supported without the necessity of pro viding an unsightly number of openings through the panel of radio receiving apparatus or apparatus of any other kind. In other words, I am enabled to support a maximum number of instrumentalities upon a panel such as is disclosed by the employment of a minimum number of holes or openings through said panel. The structure embodying my invention also enables the adjustment of the said instrumentalities into such positions as may be desired or necessary merely by the adjustment of the arms thereof with respect to each other or with respect to the panel on which they are supported.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In adjustable supporting means, the combination of a plate having an opening therethrough, a headed bushing extending through said opening and having a screwthreaded end portion, the head thereof being located on the outer side of said plate, arms having openings therethrough through which the inner end portion of the said bushing extends, the opening in one of said arms being screw-threaded and adapted to engage the inner screw-threaded end portion of said bushing and to clamp the other remaining arm against the adjacent inner side. portion of the plate, the said arms each being providcd with slots in their outer end portions which extend longitudinally thereof and means extending through said slots and having connection with an instrumentality for supporting the same upon the said arms.

In adjustable supporting means, a main supporting element having an opening therethrough, a member extending through and adapted to be secured in said opening, a plurality of arms rotatably secured to the inner end of said member, said arms being provided with openings thercthrough through which the said member extends and one of said arms having means whereby it is adapted to clamp and hold the other arm or arms in place on said member and means for connecting different types of instrumentalities to said arms, the relation to each other of the points at which such connection must be made varying in the different types of said instrumentalities.

3. In adjustable supporting means for radio receiving apparatus, the combination of a plate having an opening therethrough, a bushing stationarily mounted in said plate, a plurality of arms mounted upon the inner end of said bushing and extending radially from the axis thereof, the said arms being rotatably adjustable upon said bushing whereby the angular relation between the same may be changed and each of the said arms being provided with an opening therethrough, and means mounted in said openings and adapted to engage an instrumentality of the said apparatus for supporting the same.

4. In adjustable supporting means, the combination of a plate having an opening therethrough, a headed bushing extending through said opening, the head thereof being located on the outer side of said plate and the inner end portion thereof being externally screw threaded, arms having openings therethrough through Which the inner end portion of the said bushing extends, the opening in one of said arms being screw-threaded and adapted to engage the inner screw-threaded end portion of said bushing and to clamp the other remaining arm against the adjacent inner side portion of the plate, and means on the outer end portions of said arms whereby instrumentalities to be supported thereby are adapted to be secured thereto.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 15th day of September, 1924.

' GORDON O. WILKINSON. 

